Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

L'Incivilité des fantômes by Rivers Solomon

72 reviews

benjspriggs's review against another edition

dark hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Ableism, Death, Classism, Cursing, Gun violence, Abandonment, Bullying, Misogyny, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Self harm

Moderate: Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Rape, Dysphoria, Suicide, Blood, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent

wardenred's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thank Heavens for their misplaced belief that only the most holy should be in charge of the direction of Matilda’s journey, as that belief led to a good many of them dying.

Looking back, I knew from the get go that this was a book about slavery set in the confines of an inescapable generation ship. I shouldn’t be at all surprised at how dark this got. Still, somehow, I was completely unprepared for the sheer brutality of this setting, and yet barely able to put the book down. Dark as fuck, yes, but so compelling.

I think a big part of the impact was the approach the author took to describing the traumatic events faced by the characters. Only rarely do the events themselves get the spotlight. For the most part, the focus is either on the build up to them, or the aftermath, or on occasion, something is described in a few sparing, detailless sentences that focus on the utter mundanity of things that shouldn’t be happening to people at all. Altogether it creates a truly chilling effect.

What I found the most striking were all the human connections forming in this utter darkness, all these people figuring out ways to be kind to each other, to learn, to find the strength for another day. Aster, Theo, Giselle, Melusine are all going to live rent-free in my head for a while now, I’m sure. Especially Aster. I loved her so much. She’s clearly some type of neurodivergent and her way of interacting with the world was so interesting to me. I’ve seen reviews saying she didn’t form deep connections because of her unemotional disposition, but I disagree with it a lot—I feel like the connections were very much there, just processed and expressed differently than is common for neurotypical individuals.

Despite all the feelings and thoughts the book made me experience, I do have some half-complaints, mostly about the pacing: I felt like the story took a long while to start going anywhere, other than just being a snapshot of an oppressive, claustrophobic dystopia, but then the ending was rushed. It’s a bit like the book started as a character/situation study and then decided to develop a stronger plot a tad too late. That lack of balance didn’t take away from the powerful delivery of the themes, but it did made the narrative harder to process.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Suicide, Slavery, Confinement, Racism, Violence, Death, Ableism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

hazelwood's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

An absolute masterpiece. Octavia Butler would have loved this, I think. The characters are so so realistic! The neurodivergent representation! The gender nonconformity! The aspec representation! The dissection of power and trauma and grief! Not to mention the beautiful use of language and intensely detailed worldbuilding! I am gathering up Aster and Theo and Giselle and Ainy and Pippi and Mabel and Flick and Lune and I am forever holding them close to my heart where they can be safe. I only wish for another book, or an afterword, or something so I can know if it all turned out okay!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Slavery, Confinement, Excrement, Gore, Sexual assault, Cursing, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This book was intense, but overall a very good read. I felt like the author did a great job building the world and the characters, so much so that I found myself wishing there was a sequel. I would definitely recommend this book to others, though with a strong caution to review the trigger warnings and be prepared for graphic content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Body horror, Racism, Lesbophobia, Murder, Rape, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Colonisation, Homophobia, Torture, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Police brutality, Self harm, Violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

smith2ds's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Medical trauma, Rape, Abortion, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical content, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Blood, Torture, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Body horror

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Gore, Slavery, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Classism, Death, Child death, Racism, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Self harm, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Transphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexism, Abortion, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Dysphoria

Minor: Cancer, Pregnancy, Incest, Animal death, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse

caroline_norrish's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Rape, Racism, Abortion, Suicide, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Confinement, Mental illness, and Misogyny

ranjanireviewsreads's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Abortion, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Blood, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Rape, Racism, Slavery, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Violence, and Racial slurs

hannah_a_r_teatalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding in this book; conceptually, it was fascinating. However, sometimes mysteries were picked up and set down again for reasons that escaped me. One example is the place where Lune's notes were stored, which seemed like it could have been much more developed. The resolution of the mystery of Lune's disappearance was anticlimactic,

and I was also very confused about the insistence the book had that she slit her throat, when there was no body and we never find out what happened

. Mostly, I was just unprepared for the incessant sexual violence in the book. There is so much sexual violence. It made the book hard to read, and not in the "this is hard but good/important for me" way, but in the "yes, we get it already, women of the Lowerdecks are raped incessantly, yes, I understand the problems inherent in this society and how it represents our own past and present, we've now passed the point where it develops theme, character, and plot and is just beating me up" sort of way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Child death, Confinement, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Classism, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Rape, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, and Sexual assault

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

mostlyvoidpartiallystars's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This book is incredible, thought-provoking, and devastating. There's a mix of terrifying worldbuilding, fascinating characters, mysterious plot, and deep emotional resonance. Make SURE to read the content warnings, though - it's a very heavy book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Rape, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Death, Child death, Torture, Sexual violence, Ableism, Violence, and Gun violence